China-firing kiln



(No Model.)

I". A. WILKB. CHINA FIRING KILN. No. 427,941.

Patented May 13, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. WILKE, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

CHINA-FIR'ING KILN.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,941, dated May 13,1890. Application filed March-1, 1890. Serial No. 342,245. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. WILKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in China- Firing Kilns, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has for its objects to provide a new and improved kilnfor iring decorated china; to provide novel means whereby the firing-potcan be conveniently inspected, while cold air is eifectually excludedtherefrom; to provide a kiln wherein a tube on the lid ofthe ring-potserves to conduct the fumes from the china into a hood connected with achimney, and, conjointly with a sightpane, enables the attendant toinspect or observe the china; to provide novel means whereby the fumesare forced direct to a chimney in contradistinction to escaping into theroom or apartment, and to provide novel means which intensifies the heatand conlines it to the sides and top of the iiringpot to secure auniform Iiow of the glazing, which is particularly desirable and usefulwhen a matched set of dishes is to be fired.

To accomplish all these vobjects my invention involves the features ofconstruction, the combination or arrangement of parts, and theprinciples of operation hereinafter described in detail, andspecifically set forth in the claims, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isaside elevation of achina-ring kiln embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical centralsectional view of the same, showing the firing-pot in side elevation.Fig. 3 is a top plan view omitting the hood and the lid of the externalcasing or cylinder. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of theairheating draft-pipe.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention,I will now describe the same in detail, referring to thedrawings, wherein-- The numeral l indicates a cast-iron baseplatesupported by legs and having a'central depression-chamber 2 to form achamber, in which is placed a gasoline or similar burner 3, thesupply-pipe of which passes through the bottoni of the depression to theoil-tank or other source of fuela The base-plate is cast or otherwiseprovided with upwardly-projecting studs 4, on which rests the bottomwall of the cylindrical or other properly-shaped firing-pot 5, whereby asuitable space is provided between the pot and the base-plate. A hollowcasing or cylinder 6 surrounds the firing-pot and rests on thebase-plate, such casingor cylinder rising above the top of thefiring-pot and containing a non-conducting filling 7 of mineral wool orasbestus. A iireproof lid S of asbestus rests on the upper end of thecasing or cylinder, and the construction is such thata space is providedover the top of the firing-pot and between the side thereof and theinterior of the casing or cylinder, whereby the heat generated by theburner is confined in a space extending around all parts of thetiring-pot, by which means the heat is intensied and a fired in- -steadof a baked product is yielded.

The top of the ring-pot is provided with a metallic or other suitablelid 9, from which rises an inclined funnelshaped tube l0, which projectsthrough an orifice in the asbestus or other tire-proof lid S of thenon-conducting casing or cylinder. A conical sheet-metal hood l2 isplaced over and rests upon the casing or cylinder and at its apex with acollar 13 to connect by a flue or stove-pipe with a chimney of thebuilding or factory. rlhe hood is provided with an inserted pane 14, ofmica or other appropriate transparent material, fitted air-tight in theopening provided for it to preventthe escape of the fumes from the chinaat this point. The funnel-shaped tube is located in alignment with theinserted sight-pane and terminates at its upper end below the inner sideof the hood, which construction and arrangement subserve two functions:first, to conduct the fumes from the firing-pot into the hood, fromwhence they pass direct to the chimney, and, second, to enable theattendant to inspect the interior of the firing-pot and observe thecondition of the china undergoing treatment.

In this type of kilns it is desirable to create a forced draft in thefiring-pot by means of warm or hot air, for the purpose ot' forcing outthe fumes, and this is rendered possible by simple means through themedium of the funnel-shaped tube, which serves as a ventilating-tube todirect the fumes to the chim- IOO ncy. A cold-air forcing or draft pipe15 passes through the base-plate or through the lower end of thecylinder, and is formed into or provided with a coil, or is otherwisebent around, as at 1G, to constitute an air-heater, and the extremity 17of the pipe is inserted through the lower end portion of the firingpot.The air forced or passing through this pipe is warmed in the heaterportion 1G by the burner and enters the firing-pot in a warm or hotcondition, creating a draft, by which the fumes are carried olf throughthe f u nnel shaped tube into the hood and thence to the chimney. Thehot'air draft through the tiring-pot not only carries olf the fumes fromthe china, but secures a uniform fiow of the glazing, which is animportant advantage, especially where a matched set of dishes is to betired. The base-plate may be provided with a register 18, comprisingorifices opened and closed by a slide to regulate the draft in thechimney. The products of combustion pass to the chimney by the openingin the asbestus lid, through which the funnel-shaped tube extends; butthe heat and products of combustion only pass otf after acting on thebottom, side, and across the top of the firingpot, so that the bestresults are attained.

The casing or cylinder is com posed of a castiron inner wall and asheet-iron outer wall, and, as before stated, the intervening space ispacked with mineral wool or asbestus to produce anon-conducting wall.The ends of the casing or cylinders are in the form of collars, havingopenings 19, Fig. 3, whereby heat can escape from the casing or cylinderwhile the non-conducting filling is confined in place.

The draft-pipe, having an air-heating por tion, provides means wherebycold airis eifectuallyexcludcd from the interior of the firingpot, forthe air enters the latter in a hot condition and forces the fumes fromthe china through the funnel-shaped tube, and obviously so long as thisoperation continues no cold air can gain access to the china undertreatment. r1he termination of the funnel* shaped tube below the insideof the hood also contributes in excluding cold air at all times andprevents the passage of fumes into the apartment containing the kiln.

The heating of the air prior to its delivery into the iiring-pot tosecure the ventilation is an important feature, in that it drives offall fumes, and thereby avoids discoloration of the china.

The improved kiln is so constructed that cold airis eifectu allyexcluded from the firingpot, in which the decorated china is stacked,and the cold-air pipe, in combination with the air-heating coil and theventilating and observing btube, provides for rapidly forcing the fumesfrom the china by means of hot air, which results in the uniform flow ofthe glazing. The non-conducting casing or cylinder intensifies the heatand confines it to all parts of the iring-pot to yield a iired and not abaked china, and the transparent sight-pane,

conjointly with the funnel-shaped tube, c11- ables the operator toconveniently take observations of the ware without removing plugs oradmitting cold air or permitting fumes to escapeinto the apartmentcontaining the kiln.

llavin g thus described my invention, what l claim is- 1. A china-firingkiln consisting of a base, a firing-pot, a casing surrounding thefiringpot, a lid for the casing, ahood having a sightpane inserted in anopening therein, and a lid for the firing-pot having a Ventilating-tubearranged in alignment with the sight-pane, and terminating below thesight-paneto deliver the fumes into the hood and serve, conjointly withthe sightpane, for observing china, substantially as described.

2. A china-firing kiln consisting of a base, a iiring-pot, a casingsurrounding the liringpot, a lid for the casing, a hood having a collarto connect with a stove pipe or liuc and provided with a sight device, ahot-airdraft pipe connected with the lower part of the firing-pot, and alid for the latter having a tube arranged in alignment with the sightdevice, and terminating inside the hood to deliver the fumes thereintoand serve, conjointly with the sight device, for observing the china,substantially as described.

3. A china-firing kiln consisting of a firingpot, a heat-generator forthe latter, a hood above the same, a lid for the firing-pot providedwith a Ventilating-tube terminating inside the hood to deliver the fumesthere into, and an air-draft pipe heated by the heat-generator andopening into the firingpot to force the fumes into the hood in transitto a chimney, substantially as described.

4. A china-firing kiln consisting of a base, a tiring-pot, a casingsurrounding the latter, aheat-generator, a lid for the casing, a hoodover the latter provided with a sight device and having means to connectwith a chimney, a lid for the firing-pot having a funnelshaped tubeextending through the casinglid and terminating below the sight deviceto deliver the fumes into the hood for passage to the chimney, and al1ot-airdraft pipe connected with the lower end of the iiringpot toforce the fumes into the hood and secure a uniform flow of the glazing,substantially as described.

5. A china-kiln consisting of a firing-pot, a burner below the same, ahood above the firing-pot, a lid for the firingpot having a tube openinginto the hood to deliver thereinto the fumes from the china, and anair-draft pipe having a part extended under the firepot, heated by theburner and connected with the iiring-pot for delivering hot air theretoto force the fumes into the hood in transit to a chimney, substantiallyas described.

G. A china-firing kiln consisting of a baseplate having studs on itsupper side, a burner located between the studs, a firing-pot resting 011and supported by the studs, a casing packed with non-conducting materialresting on the IOO ITO

base-plate and rising above the firing-pot, a fire-proof lid on thecasing, a hood supported by the latter and having an inserted sightpane,and a lid on the firing-pot having a funnel-shaped tube extendingthrough the reproof lid in alignment with the sight-pane and terminatinginside the hood to deliver thereinto the fumes from the firing-pot7substantially as described.

7 A ehina-ring kiln consisting of a baseplate having studs on its upperside, a firingpot resting on and supported by the studs, a easing packedwith non-eonducting material resting on the base-plate and rising abovethe firing-pot, a fire-proof lid for the casing, a hood located over thelatter and having an inserted sight-pane, a lid for the firing-pothaving a tube extending through the fireproof lid in alignment with thesight-pane and terminating inside the hood to deliver thereinto thefumes from the firing-pot, and a hot-air-draft tube connected With thelower end of the iiring-pot, substantially as described.

8. A china-tiring kiln consisting of a baseplate having studs on itsupper side, a firingpot resting on and supported by the studs, a casingsurrounding and rising above the firing-pot and composed of inner andouter Walls, an interposed non-conducting material and end collarshaving perforations forthe escape of heat, a fire-proof lid for thecasing, a hood over the casing, and a lid for the tiring-pot having atube extending through the fireproof lid and terminating inside the hoodto deliver thereinto the fumes from the firingpot, substantially asdescribed.

9. A ehina-iiring kiln consisting of a baseplate having studs on itsupper side, a iiringpot resting on the studs, a easing composed of innerand outer Walls and an interposed filling of mineralWool or asbestus, alire-proof lid resting on the upper end of the casing, a hood locatedover and supported by the covered casing, and a lid on the firing-pothaving a funnel-shaped tube extending through the lire-proof lid of thecasing and terminating inside the hood to deliver thereinto the fumesfrom the firing-pot, substantially as described.

10. In a china-firing kiln, a firing-pot provided With a lid having aVentilating-tube, and a draft-pipe extending into an air-heating coiland connected with the firing-pot, in combination with a hood into whichthe ventilating-tube delivers the fumes from the ring-pot, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my nature in presence of tWoWitnesses.

FREDERICK A. WILKE.

Vitnesses:

HENRY C. STARR, WILLIAM K. YOUNG.

